


Metamorphosis

by mtac_archivist



Category: NCIS
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Not Episode Related, Not a Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-08
Updated: 2009-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 10:39:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13316391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mtac_archivist/pseuds/mtac_archivist
Summary: Ziva muses on her change and how she chose to become a member of the team.





	Metamorphosis

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Jessi, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [ MTAC](https://fanlore.org/wiki/MTAC), an archive of NCIS fanfiction which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after August 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator (and this work is still attached to the archivist account), please contact me using the e-mail address on [ the MTAC collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/mtac/profile)

  
Author's notes: Contains spoilers for 'Hiatus' and 'Shalom'.  


* * *

She sits back in her chair a little, distancing herself, for a moment, from the rest of the team.

There was a time when the distance was not 'for a moment'. There was a time when she was permanently distanced, because she did not wish to be part of it.

Even now she know the moment she began to change. The moment she decided she wanted to become part of it.

Her eyes come to rest on Ducky and she remembers.

_"Which hospital? Portsmouth? They have a level one trauma center at Portsmouth."_

_"I didn’t ask."_  
      
"You didn’t ask?! Well, McGee and Tony will know." 

She remembers the tone of his voice, how for the first time the mild-mannered, courteous doctor had snapped at her. She remembers how he'd swiftly tried to make it better; he only made it worse. 

_"Oh Ziva, I’m not implying that you don’t care. Listen, I know you care!"_

But she had not cared; not in the way _real_ team members care. It had started her thinking.

Her gaze moves onto Abby. She remembers Abby slapping her face when again she had not behaved like a team member should.

She had cared. She just hadn't known how to show it; how to become part of the team. How to - 

Her gaze moves from Abby, to Tony, to Tim, to Jimmy, and back to Ducky. She remembers how, when she'd been accused of murder they'd all believed her innocent. They'd all stood by her. They'd treated her like a team member.

Finally her gaze comes to rest on Gibbs. Gibbs; he came back from Mexico to help her. He came back from Mexico to save her.

She smiles and learns forward again in her chair; once again joining the team. It was how it should be.


End file.
